Published: Wednesday, 19th March, 2008 12:00
Council considers buying Gartmorn Dam
By Kamie MacDonald
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Gartmorn Dam is no longer wanted by Scottish Water and is being put up for sale.
Pic by: Jan van der Merwe
GARTMORN DAM could come under public ownership following an announcement by Scottish Water that it plans to sell it.
At Clackmannanshire Council’s full council meeting on Thursday councillors unanimously voted to maintain an interest in purchasing the dam which is noted as being a site of special scientific interest and great landscape value.
First refusal has been offered to the council with a fee in the region of £50,000 required to purchase the dam, which attracts over 100,000 visitors each year.
Gartmorn Dam is officially redundant as a water supply reservoir and now serves as Clackmannanshire’s only country park.
At present the council has a lease there until 2029 which will continue to run regardless of who owns it – a separate fishing lease also runs until 2029.
Councillor Eddie Carrick echoed the views of all the councillors at Thursday’s meeting.
Mr Carrick said, “We are interested and I hope it comes to fruition. We all want it in public ownership.
“If we worked that dam properly we could attract a lot more people to the area.”
There are, however, concerns over Scottish Water’s maintenance of the reservoir until the handover would take place.
At the moment there is a depression on the dam and the drainage system has been in need of cleaning for some time.
There is also a problem with moles in the area that would need to be cleared.
Councillor Donald Balsillie said, “The council needs to step up to the plate on this one as it would be unthinkable that Gartmorn would not be used for the public benefit.”
The dam was first built in 1713 by the 6th Earl of Mar and is now popular with walkers, cyclists and horse riders. In recent years its popularity has been enhanced with links to the National Cycle Route.
The council has invested a significant amount of money over the past 30 years and it is estimated the dam would cost £20,000 annually to maintain.
A full liability report will be commissioned along with a study of the potential for a trust taking over the dam and gaining funding for enhancements.
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